Local leaders revisit big plans for growing population

At an event sponsored by a group called Triangle Tomorrow, The Urban Land Institute and the Research Triangle Park Partnership, 600 attendees from five counties heard that more than 1 million people would move to the area in the next 20 years.

This was no ordinary lecture. Participants used toys to build a vision for how new people and jobs fit the Triangle's future.

"The Legos are used as a representation of new homes, new jobs," said Fred Day, former CEO of Progress Energy.

"The yarn is used as transportation. It's seems like a game, but you'll see it's not a game. It's serious. It's about creating a vision for this region for the next 20 or 30 years."

Those who attended agreed to three big goals: improving regional transit, creating vibrant city centers and preserving green space.

They will meet again Wednesday for a status update. The meeting runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Progress Energy Center for Performing Arts.

"The decisions we make today are the decisions that will be defining the next several decades of growth in this region," Day said.